Adapter means for releasably connecting tools to manipulating handles



Dec. 5, 1961 H. M. ARNESON 3.0

ADAPTER MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING TOOLS TO MANIPULATING HANDLES Filed March 17, 1960 50 4 A 4 L j 6% sz b I 62A 60 F I I O z: Q 55/ FIG. 2

F I G. 1

INVENTOR HOWARD M. ARNESON BYW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,011,813 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,813 ADAPTER MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECT- ING TOOLS T MANIPULATENG HANDLES Howard M. Arneson, Vallejo, Calif., assignor to Andrew L. Pansini, San Rafael, Calif. Filed Mar. 17, 1960, Ser. No.'33,070 6 Claims. (Cl. 287--124) This invention relates to tool handles and more particularly to a new adapter by which a tool may be detachably mounted on an elongated tubular handle.

In many situations it is desirable to employ a single tool handle for a plurality of tools. Thus, in the field of cleaning equipment for swimming pools, the cleaning tools employed must be mounted on very long handles when in use, but the provision of a separate long handle for each of the many cleaning tools, brushes, leaf sweepers, etc., is both expensive and creates a substantial storage problem. a

Accordingly, it is a principal object ofthis invention to provide an adapter for detachably connecting a tool to a long, tubular manipulating handle inorder that a single handle may be employed for a plurality of tools.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an adapter which vmay be employed with a variety of tubular handles having different diameters.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an adapter which can be quickly and securely attached to a tool and which may be quickly detached from a tool.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an adapter which maybe securely and relatively permanently attached to one end of an elongated tubular handle.

It is another object of this invention to provide such an adapter which may be manufactured simply and inexpensively.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the adapter of this invention as it is employed to connect a tool to an elongated tubular handle;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in cross-section taken along lines 44 in FIG. 1.

Broadly stated this invention comprises an adapter for releasably connecting tools to tool manipulating handles which comprises a body having an outer surface a portion of which is generally frusto-conical in shape, a resilient member mounted on said body on the side of said outer surface adjacent the vertex of said generally frustoconical surface, mounting means for compressing said resilient member toward said surface while expanding said resilient member in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which it is compressed, and connecting means carried by said body accessible from the'end of said body remote from said resilient member for detachably connecting said body to a tool. 7

Referring now in detail to the drawing, an elongated tubular handle '10 is connected to a tool holder 12 by means of an adapter indicated at :14 in FIG. 1 and illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2-4.

The adapter 14 comprises a main body 16 which is generally cylindrical in shape and provided with an outer surface portion 18 which is generally frusto-conical. As illustrated herein surface portion 18 is truly frusto-conical, but its shape may deviate from a true cone; it may be, for instance, frusto-parabolic or frusto-hyperbolic, and, accordingly, the term generally frusto-conical is emverge axially and radially from a given point on the axis of body 16. Body 16 extends into the end of tubular ployed herein as denoting surfaces of rotation which dihandle 10, with the mouth of handle 10 contacting surface 18.

A sleeve 20 made of a resilient material is provided in handle 10 on the end of body 16 adjacent the vertex of generally frusto-conical surface 18. A stop plate 24 is held against the end of sleeve 20 by a screw 26 extending through sleeve 20. The inner end of body 16 is provided with a flange 30 to retain the head 32 of screw 26 against movement out of body 16.

Adapter 14 is mounted on handle 10 by: first, loosening screw 26 until sleeve 20 is not under compression, screw 26 being turned by a suitable screw driver inserted in body 16; second, inserting sleeve 20 and body 16 into tube 10 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2, and then tightening screw 26 to compress sleeve 20 axially and expand it radially so that sleeve 20 firmly grips the inner surface of handle 10. i

The provision of generally frusto-conical surface 18 penmits the adapter 14 to be used on tubular handles of different internal diameters While providing a very rigid connection between the handle and the ad-apter;-the fact that handle 10 contacts surface 18 adds rigidity to the connection between thehandle and the adapter since such contact prevents relative pivoting of the two members about the center of sleeve 20.

Tool holder 12 is detachably connected to adapter 14 by means of a shank 34 on tool holder 12 which extends into passageway 28 of body 16. Shank 34 isprovided with a spiral groove 36 in the outer surface thereof, groove 36 lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of shank 34 and being progressively deeper from one end to the other. Body 16 is provided with a retaining bar 38 extending therethrough spaced radially from the axis of body '16 and spaced axially from screw head 32. Bar 38 extends through groove 36 retaining shank 34 in passageway 28. A chordal keyway 48 is provided on shank 34 to provide clearance for bar 38 when body 16 is rotated to a position where bar 38 lies parallel to and adjacent keyway 40. Tool holder 12 is provided with a shoulder 42 thereon positioned to contact the end of body 16 when tool holder 12 is mounted on body 16.

Tool holder 12 is attached to body 16 by first aligning shank 34 with passageway 28 with keyway 4!} in alignment with bar 38, inserting shank 34 into passageway 28 and rotating tool holder 12 relative to body 16 until bar 38 is firmly seated in groove 36. As illustrated in FIG. 3, such firm seating is accomplished by rotation of tool holder 12 about so that attachment of tool 12 to body 16 is accomplished very easily.

Locking means are provided to ensure against undesired relative, i.e., loosening, movement taking place between shank 34 and body 16, said means comprising a spring 44 having a fixed leg 46,. a movable leg 48, an operating button 50 against which the movable leg 48 presses, and a slot 52 formed in adapter 14 complemental to a portion of leg 48. Button 50 is provided with stop members 53 which prevent it from being urged fully out of holder 12. Spring 44 is anchored in place by means of a laterally extending foot portion 54 which extends into aperture 56 in holder 12, by means of its bight portion 57 engaging the end of counterbore 58 formed in shank 34, and by means of leg 48 residing in slot 59 formed in shank 34. I

When shank 34 is turned to tightly engage bar 38 in groove 36, the movable leg 48 of spring 44 snaps into engagement with slot 52. When it is desired to disengage shank 34 from body 16, button 50 is depressed to bring leg 48 out of slot 52 and shank 34 is turned to bring the 3 chordal keyway 40 into alignment with bar 38. Shank 34 and body 16 may then be axially separated.

Tool holder 12 is provided with strengthening ribs 60. It is also provided with slots 62 through which bolts may extend to secure the selected tool, not shown, to holder 12.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool comprising an elongated tubular handle, an elongated body mounted in said handle and extending from one end of said handle, said body having an outerv generally frusto-conical surface portion diverging from and contacting the end of said tube, a resilient sleeve mounted on said body at the end thereof inside said handle, a plate abutting the end of said sleeve remote from said body, a passageway leading into said body from the end thereof outside of said handle, a screw mounted with its head retained in said passageway and its shank threadably engaged in said plate securing said plate to said body with said sleeve compressed therebetween, the outer surface of said compressed sleeve grasping the tubular wall of said handle, and a tool detachably mounted on the, end ofsaid body outside of said handle.

2. The tool of claim 1 in which a bar extends through said passageway spaced from the axis of said body and from said head of said screw; said tool comprises a working portion and a shank mounted on said working portion, and said shank is provided with a circumferentially extending retaining notch spaced from the end of said shank with said bar retained in said notch, and an axially extending chordal keyway therein extending from said notch to the end of said shank remote from said working portion providing clearance for said bar when said shank is removed from said passageway.

3. Quick connect and disconnect connector means for a tool whereby said tool may be manipulated comprising a generally cylindrical shank portion connected to said tool, a socket member into which said shank portion may said bar rides in said groove upon subsequent relative rotation between said socket member andsaid shank portion, said groove being progressively deeper from one end to the other whereby relative rotation in one direction between said socket member and shank portion Will tightly bind said bar within said groove.

4. The combination of claim 3 including stop means formed on one of said socket member and shank portion limiting movement of said shank portion inwardly of said socket member to the point where said bar is in alignment with said groove. 1

. 5. The combination of claim 3including complemental locking means carried by said shank portion and socket.

member operable to positively interlock said shank portion and socket member together when said bar is in relatively tightly binding engagement with said groove.

6. The combination of claim 5- including means accessibly mounted on one of said shank portion and socket member whereby said complemental locking means may be disengaged to enable loosening movement of said shank portion within said socket member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,422,058 Hovanec. July 4, 1922. 2,446,406 Beyerle Aug. 3, 1948 2,881,018 Carlson et al Apr. 7, 1959 

